How to Import Contacts to Your iPhone From a CSV

by Nicole Vulcan, Demand Media

Connect your iPhone to a computer so you can synchronize your contact information.

Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images

Having your contacts easily accessible across your computers and devices can make it easier to make business calls and get in touch with colleagues and associates while you're on the go. The CSV (comma-separated values) format is easily recognized by many contact management programs. To import contact data from a CSV file to your iPhone, you must first import the data from the CSV file to a contact management program that is compatible with the iPhone. You can then use iTunes to sync your contact information from the contacts program to your iPhone.

Step 1

Save the CSV file containing your contacts on your computer.

Step 2

Choose a contact management program or service that will synchronize with your iPhone via iTunes. Choices include Google Contacts, Microsoft Outlook or Yahoo Address Book. Sign up for an account, if necessary, and then open the program or access the service.

If you are using Outlook, launch the application, click the “File” menu, select “Open,” and select “Import.” In the Import and Export Wizard, choose “Import from another program or file” and click “Next.” Select “Comma Separated Values (Windows),” click “Next,” click “Browse,” locate the CSV file on your computer and follow the on-screen prompts to upload it.

Step 4

If you are using Google Contacts, go to your Gmail account in your Web browser, click “Gmail,” select “Contacts, and click the “Import Contacts” link. Follow the prompts to locate the CSV file on your computer and upload it to Google Contacts.

Step 5

If you are using Yahoo Address Book, go to your Yahoo Mail account in your Web browser, click “Contacts” and “Import.” Follow the prompts to locate the CSV file on your computer and upload it to Yahoo Address Book.

Step 6

Connect your iPhone to your computer with a supported USB sync cable.

Step 7

Launch iTunes on your computer.

Step 8

Click on your iPhone's name from the left hand sidebar of the iTunes window.

Step 9

Click the "Info" tab in the iTunes window.

Step 10

Click “Sync Contacts With” and then select “Outlook,” “Google Contacts” or “Yahoo” from the drop-down menu (whichever corresponds to the program or service you are using) and click “Apply.”

Step 11

The contacts you imported to your contacts program -- as well as any other contacts that were contained in that program -- will be imported to your iPhone's contacts folder when you synchronize your device with iTunes.

Step 12

Click “OK” when you see a notification appear on your screen, alerting you that the contacts have been imported.

Things Needed

About the Author

Nicole Vulcan has been a journalist since 1997. She's covered parenting, careers, gardening, fitness and travel for The Oregonian, China Daily, Black Hills Woman and more. Vulcan holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and journalism from the University of Minnesota. She's also a lifelong athlete and is pursuing certification as a personal trainer.

Photo Credits

Have Feedback?

Thank you for providing feedback to our Editorial staff on this article. Please fill in the following information so we can alert the Small Business editorial team about a factual or typographical error in this story. All Fields are required.